22 JANUARY 2005, Page 17

Ease out the mullahs

From Mehrdad Khonsari

Sir: Douglas Davis is right in his assessment (‘Deadly threat of a nuclear Iran’, 15 January) that if the mullahs get a nuclear weapon they will be completely unstoppable. It is also an accepted fact that they are behind the terrorism in both Iraq and Palestine/Israel. Unfortunately, the UK and EU idea of ‘critical dialogue’ has proved itself to be nothing more than a farce, which the ruling clerics in Iran have been more than happy to exploit in their own favour with a cynical chuckle.

Given these undeniable realities, the only practical and acceptable way to stop all this is to help the Iranian people to get rid of the mullahs — a feat that will not require British or American soldiers, something which they do not want in any case. Through vocal support for the recently announced national appeal by all major organisations across the political spectrum in support of a referendum for the drafting of a new national constitution, the aspirations of the Iranian people for peaceful change can receive the bolster which they desperately need at this time.

Dr Mehrdad Khonsari

Leader, The Constitutionalist Movement of Iran, London SW15

No sweat